Card filing equipment



April 18, 1950 G. c. BRUEN 2,504,799

CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR. GEORGE C. BRUEN DECEASED SOPHIE E. BRUEN, EXECUTRIX ATTORNEY April 1950 G. C. BRUEN ,504,799

' CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6

FIG. 8

IN V EN TOR. GEORGE C. BRUEN, DECEASED B1OPH|E E. BRUEN, EXECUTRIX flZJ-JWW ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD FILING EQUIPMENT St." Joseph, Mo.

App catio Au ust 6 Se a1N9- 693 5 4 was. 129-43) The present invention relates to card filing equipment and more particularly to a card file of the type comprising a base to which is attached an invertible card-holding tray the base and tray forming, conjointly, when closed, a substantially dust-proof housing which is adapted to be mounted on a desk top and which can be o ned i ou occu i an mere d k s w t an s re ired h n he fi e i lose Th sub e matter f this ap l cati n is szse: .11! rel t d to that i t e c n n a li e iqn at George C. Bruen, Serial No. 682,679; filed July 10, 1946, for Card filing equipment, and the m1; provement herein dealt with has to do with a implifi m chani l arr ngem for n e cem necting the base and eard-holding tray, while na e s rotat on at the tray r m opea'tq clos d pos t on a d ic r a- The object of the present invention is to provide a card file of the type indicated which is substantial and durable, easily operated and 111'): likely to get out of order, and which can be pro..- duced economically.

In the drawings which accompany this specifie cation:

Fig. l is a perspective view of' the improved card file with the card-holding tray in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the card file with the card-holding tray open Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fla 4 a nlarg d rans e se se tig tak n substantially on a line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 5 is a detail view of the card-holding track;

Fi .6 is a s d leva na View s owing th card file with the card-.- holdin g tray in its inverted or closed position, as in Fig. 1;

Fi 7 is a sid el va iona view de icting a step in the operation of turning the card-holding tray from the closed position of Fig. (5 to the fnlly open position of Fig.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view illustrating a further step in the operation of turning the eardholdin tray;

Fi 9 is a side .elevationel view d i in a still further step in the operation of turning the cardholding tray, and shows the tray nearly in its fully opened position of rest;

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view showing the card file fu p a Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of an alter.- native structure and depicts a modification in the manner of linking the base and tray together.

The turning operation depicted by successive steps in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, is reversible for losing hem Themaior c m nents i the s ated i s: ar ere a se an a ca d-ho di e -v Th a Pre er bly t ke th m of a' annel, as shown, open at both ends and consisting of two side walls II and I2 and a bottom 13, The two side walls are rabbeted at their inside upper edges, as indicated at M and IS in Fig. 4, to provide clearance for a pair of elongated rigid links 1.6 and Tray 9 comprises a flat bottom l8, two side walls l9 and 2B; and two end walls 2| and 22, which are higher than the sidewalls.

seen-red to the bottom of the tray, interiorly thereot at one end extending transversely of the tray is a rectangular block; 23 which is notched at 23a, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to receive the closed end of a Ll-shaped card-carrying track 24 (see Fig, 5) consisting of a metal rod of round cross seetion bent as shown and comprising two parallel spaced legs 25, 255 and an integral cross m mber 21.,

Also secured to the bottom of the tray interiorly thereei and t e a d rem f om bl ck 23 is a s e rectan ular 91 1; V2 wh ch ik w e ten s tr nsvers ly o t t a Bl 1 m: ri ge its u p rsurfa e with a P of owhes 29 and so in which are removablyseated the two ree sa e of th les a d 2-6 of t se q c rry ns track Notc jes 5a 2 and 30 a so p siion d t a ack .4 s su porte at a sui able distance above the bottom of the tray. The cards n t shew re mount d in h u ua ma ner or track 2. b m ans o su able notche in one edge of each earel-Twhich accords with QQIl? newa pract ce.- W th th ca ds hus a a to t at .4 and h ray in e te as her inafte describe he. a d wil han in ls ensiee item t e tr fiunerim o ed up n the block 2 s an e101}.- gated rectangular slide 3| having a pair of elongated openings 32, 33 which accommodate a pair of wood screws 34, 35the latter being threaded 3 into block 28 and serving to hold slide 3| in place, while permitting a limited lengthwise movement thereof.

A pair of notches '36 and 31 cut through the inner edge of slide 3! are adapted to register with notches 29 and 30 when slide 31 is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, whereby to permit the free ends of legs 25 and 26 to enter notches 29' and 30 and to be withdrawn therefrom. However, slide 3| is normally held in the track-retaining position, in which it is shown in Fig. 4 by a biasing spring 38 seated in a recess 39 in the block 28 and bearing against a pin 40 which is fixedly secured to slide 3| and extends downwardly into recess 38. Track 24 can be bodily' removed from the tray, even with the cards 'attached, by moving slide 3| to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, sufliciently to bring notches 36 and 3'! into registration with notches Z9 and 30, respectively; and said track can be just as easily replaced following a like manipulation of the slide.

When the tray is in open position, thebottom In'the embodiment of Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, each link isconnected to the base at a point midway of its ends, and to the tray at a. point near one end-fthat is to say, remotely from the midpoint of the tray. In the modification of Fig. 11, the links, such as lea, are connected to the tray at a point midway of its ends and to the base at a pointremote from its midpoint. These two alternative arrangements are fully equivalent oneto the other for all practical purposes.

Figs. 6 to 10 illustratein progressive steps the manner in which the card-holding tray may be lifted from closed positionand rotated end-overend and brought to rest on the base in open position, the links serving both to prevent detachment of the tray from thebase and to position the tray on the base lengthwise thereof irrespective of which way it is turned. 7 w

Thearrangement of Fig.,11 operates in the same manner as that of Figs. 6 to 10, except that with the arrangement of Fig. 11, it is not necessary to lift the tray as high, in eifectinga reversal, as is the case with the arrangement of Figs.6.t010.' 7

It will be apparent that the present invention provides a very simple and inexpensive mechanism for accomplishing its objective, and one which is devoid of any inherent disposition to get out of order.

While the structure illustrated is built principally of wood, it will be self-evident that the invention is equally applicable when the base and tray are made of sheet metal.

. Having thus described this invention, what is claimed as new and sought to be secured by Letters. Patent of the United States, is: V

1. A card file comprising, in combination, a base member having side walls secured to a bottom in opposed relationship and having open ends,

a tray member having ends and side walls secured to a bottom and. of a size to nest between the side walls of the base member with the ends of the base member substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the tray end walls, the heights of the side walls of the base and tray members being such that they are substantially flush when the bottom of the tray member rests on the bottom of the base member, the heights of the ends of the tray member being so related to the heights of the sidewalls that said ends rest against the bottom of the base member and support the tray member with the side walls of the members in partially overlapping relationship when the tray member is inverted relative to the base member, and said members being connected together for endwise swinging movement of one member relative to the other between inverted positions by substantially rigid and parallel links having their opposite ends coaxially connected for rotational movement to each of the members, said links being connected at one end to the longitudinal midportions of opposite sides of one of the members near one edge thereof, and the other ends of said links being connected to the sides of the other member at positions near one of the ends thereof. 2. A card file comprising, in combination, a base member having sidewalls secured to a bottom in opposed relationship and having open ends, a tray member having ends and. side walls secured to a bottom and of a size to nest between the side walls of the base member, said end Walls having a height exceeding that of the side walls of both members and being so related thereto that said end walls rest upon the bottom of the base member to form end closures andsupport the tray member with theside walls of the members partially overlapping when the tray, member is invertedrelative to, the base member, and said members being connected together for endwise swinging movement ,of one member relative to the other bylinks in laterally opposed relationship, said links being coaxially connected at their opposite ends to'the sides of the members at fixed positions suchthat in either anupright or vertical position of the tray member relative to the base member the'links extend longitudinally along substantial portions of the upper inner marginal portions of the base member side walls. 1

3. A card file as defined in claim 2, and-wherein corresponding ends of said links are rotatably connected to the outsides of the tray-member side walls at positions adjacent the;1marginal edges thereof remote from the bottom.

4. A card file as defined in claim 2, and wherein corresponding ends of said links are connected for rotational swinging movement to the insides of the base member side walls at positions adjacent the marginal edges thereof remote from the bottom.

- I SOPHIE E. B R U EN,

Ewecutria: of the Last Will and Testament of George C. Bruen, Deceased.

' REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name 7 Date 7 391.145 Hardin Oct. '16, 1888 687,256 Norrington Nov. 26, 1961 

